Lunatics participating with “Toys for Tots”

In an effort to contribute to the community the Harrisburg Lunatics Professional Roller Hockey Team will be participating with the local “Toys for Tots” program offered from the United States Marine Corps.

We are hopeful that Lunatic Fans will graciously bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Susquehanna Sports Center during the Months of November and December anytime the Sports Cener is open or to the Lunatics home game!  2 drop boxes are located in the facility to place your donation that will go to needy children in the community.

The goal of the Tics Toys for Tots program is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.  It will also unite all members of our local community in a common cause for two months during the often difficult Holiday Season.  Any toy big or small would be appreciated and the Harrisburg Lunatics thank you in advance.  Special Thank you to Jennifer Hable and Lunatic Players Alex DeFrank for organizing this event.

Preseason Action

Saturday the Lunatics traveled to the Flyers Skate Zone in NJ for a pre-season scrimmage game against the NJ Nightmare of the new AIHL and they looked fantastic! In fact they looked like mid-season form. The Nightmare have two minor league teams and each of the Tics minors played a game against the others. Lemoyne Lunatics Minors played first to a tie game, The Camp Hill Lunatics played after and lost 3-1. The Pros played their two games after the first set of minors, and won both 6-5 and 9-7. The pro games were spirited and hard played with the Lunatics making some amazing plays. It doesn’t appear that they were off season for 4 months, and have had only 2 practices! Everyone on the team played a big part in all scoring. The minors then took to the floor for another set of games vs the Nightmare minors. The Lemoyne Lunatics lost 5-3 in a tight game that was capped off by the Nightmare minors on a last minute empty net goal. The Camp Hill Lunatics finished the days set with a tie game vs the Nightmare minors, 3-3.

Steve Yingling Retires

Over the past eight years in PIHA we have seen some of the most amazing players in this game.  They can score, skate, dangle and dazzle.  We marvel at their prowess as they help a power play, kill a penalty, and score an OT goal.  We all have met someone who was classy, and a great guy to hang out with who would do whatever he could for his teammates, on or off the rink.  And of course, being the nature of the hockey player, we have met the jokester, who can make us smile or laugh by just being there.  But what happens when you can mix all of these types of players and traits together? 

Enter Steve Yingling.  AKA: Ying, Big Ying, Stevey, Steve-O, and Yogi and some good natured names that can not be added to this article.  Steve is all of the above and a bag of chips! (Which he probably ate! Sorry Steve) Go around the country to most any place pro level roller hockey is played, within PIHA and the like, mention his name, and you will elicit a wide smile on many faces.  Steve is everyone’s friend.  He is that player who can talk to anyone anywhere for the first time, and by the end of the conversation, you will feel like you’ve been his friend for years.  He treats everyone with respect and lends his ear to listen to you.  Steve has played since this league has began in 2001 for the York Typhoon, (York, Pa.) where he had spent six seasons in making them a three time PIHA league championship team, and held a huge role in their success.  In 2002-2003 Steve was the distinguished recipient of the Scott Rupp Award for the PIHA League MVP.  During this time with the Typhoon he played with some remarkable teammates in the league and the sport itself.  CJ Yoder, Geoff Finch, and of course his brother Brian Yingling.  As an opposing coach at the time, I can attest that when Steve and the gang were next on the schedule, you better be prepared for a stick handling show and shooting barrage.  This was a unit of players which could literally score at will, leaving talented opponents embarrassed. 

In 2006, Steve came to play in PIHA for the Harrisburg Lunatics (Harrisburg, Pa.), along with some of his teammates from the Typhoon.  He once again proved his leadership both on and off the rink, by amassing 30 goals and 60 points, leading the team.  In 2007 -08, he did it again with 63 points 35 of which were goals.  This is on a team which was loaded for talent and led all teams in PIHA regular season with an amazing 198 goals.

Steve wasn’t only limited to playing PIHA however, as he has played pro and platinum men’s divisions at NARCh and TORHS National events on many teams, such as the Tour Mudcats, Rink Rat Stallions and Factory Team, and Savage Wolves.  To say that Steve has many wonderful memories in hockey would be a grave understatement.  To say that he has given others many wonderful memories would be even more so.  I have personally had the incredible honor to coach Steve in Harrisburg, coach against him while he was with York, and before PIHA play some hockey with him as his friend, and he has given me a personal scrapbook of those memories and I feel so fortunate to have each one.  This is a man who is friends around the nation with so many and much of that is simply because of his huge grin, and his good nature. 

This summer Steve Yingling decided to announce his retirement from playing in PIHA.  Steve being a devout family man to his wife, daughter and two twin boys would like to dedicate his precious time while not working, being able to watch his children grow up and be involved with their activities.  I will tell you, that Steve is a wonderful and loving father who adores his children, I’ve seen it firsthand. 

Although his reasons are admirable, understandable, and heart felt, I am sure this will sadden many everywhere.  However when those saddened who know him, or have spent even a brief moment with him read this article, I’m sure that they are grinning from some fond memory.  “It has been my honor and pleasure to have both worked with and been friends with someone with such great integrity and talent who has brought PIHA some of its greatest moments.  He was a great player, is a good friend, and an ambassador to roller hockey.” Said Charley Yoder PIHA President and founder.  I think everyone who reads this today will echo those sentiments by Charley. 

One of the most heralded icons whose name is synonymous with roller hockey is CJ Yoder, who has been on just about every Team USA roster for World Championships, The Tour Mudcats, and PIHA’s Colorado Springs Thunder, has been one of Steve’s closest friends since childhood.  I asked CJ what Steve has brought to the PIHA through the years, and not surprisingly it was a lot. “Steve was a large part of the start of PIHA, back since the first year when the league was just getting onto its feet; he was instrumental in helping organizing and planning the league. When Steve could have played closer to home for the Harrisburg Lunatics with many of his friends, he instead went the distance to York to help make them a stronger team and more competitive. This was crucial to have competitive games so the league wouldn’t dissolve due to lack of interest.  That is the type of person Steve is.”  Says CJ.  He also added.  “Everywhere you go, Steve knows somebody.  I don’t know how he does, but he does.  If you don’t know something about a team or its players?  Just ask Stevie.”  In a more quiet tone, and a bit of a pause in his voice, CJ then said.  “The League, no, roller hockey is going to miss him.”

Long time friend and teammate in Harrisburg who is also a marquee player in the sport, Jay Mazer had this to say when I asked him what is something he will always remember while playing with Steve.  “I remember a game where early in the first period Steve had come back to the bench immediately after scoring a goal, saying “I’m Done!” and sat down.  I looked down the bench at him and said “What happened?”  And he grinned at me showing me his newly chipped tooth.  I shrugged my shoulders and said “Why not just keep playing?”  Because it wasn’t like it made much difference now.  Steve grinned again and said. “Yeah, Ok!”  And went on to score a hat trick in the game for the win.”  I asked Jay what he thought that said of Steve.  “He’s a gamer! He has always been a gamer.  He comes out to play, and he expects to win.” Stated Mazer.  I then asked Jay what he felt when he played with Steve as his teammate, and he said, “You feel his presence.  Everyone around him on the rink feels his presence.  He makes you feel like you want to give it your all every second, every minute, every shift.”  Those are some very powerful words from a player like Mazer who also is a gamer with no quit in him. 

Probably the person however who can best define what Steve Yingling represents and give the best insight to him is his brother Brian Yingling who not only obviously grew up playing ice hockey, football, baseball, and yes inline roller hockey with him.  Brian was also a league MVP in PIHA and played for the Typhoon alongside his brother.  Today Brian lives and works in Colorado Springs where he plays PIHA for the Colorado Springs Thunder, and is arguably one of the World’s top players on many circuits of roller hockey.  I asked Brian what was his most memorable experience he had playing with his brother as a teammate on the Typhoon.  Brian said, “There are too many to single out just one!  Steve and I had our fair share of arguments playing together but the good times definitely outweigh those bad times.  I would have to say winning the championship the first three years of the league is something I'll never forget.  Also, the first game against the Lunatics was awesome.  We got scored on in the first 1-2 minutes of that game and we ended up pouring it on and winning 10-2 or something like that (had to throw that in there for you guys!).”

When I asked Brian what it is about Steve that makes him so likeable among everyone involved in the sport everywhere he goes, Brian responded with “He's like a big teddy bear.  He's outgoing and talks to everyone.  It seems like he knows everyone everywhere we go.  He knows the game and loves the game so he's easy to talk to about hockey.  You'll rarely find someone who doesn't like Steve because he has such a personable personality. It's hard not to like him!” 

I also asked Brian for a funny moment to which he replied, “Again, there's too many to pick from.  I can't recall how many times we were on the bench and Steve made one of his "famous" comments or gave me "that look."  Anyone who knows Steve well will know what I'm talking about here.  Again, being three-time champions together will always be important to both of us.  I think the third year he won the scoring title. At the banquet, he thanked me for getting hurt so he could win the award!  That was pretty funny and everyone liked that.”  Steve is an incredible caring and giving father that other men could take some serious lessons from.  This I’ve seen. So I asked Brian as his brother and an uncle to his children, to give me an insight of just how devoted a dad he is. “Just the fact that he is done playing is a perfect example.  We were talking on the phone one day and he just blurted out that he is hanging up the skates.  I told him he was crazy and he'll be playing this year.  He replied that he had his time and now it's time for his kids.  That just floored me and showed me how unselfish he is and how important his kids are to him.  Baily is cheering everywhere and Brenden and Gavin are playing football, baseball, and ice and roller hockey now so he is devoting his time to coaching and watching them do their thing.  To me, that is amazing.  It reminds me of what our parents did for us.  If you just spent a day with their family you'll see how great of a father he is and how much his family loves him.  It's been almost four years now since I moved and we haven't played together and I miss it more and more every day.” Brian said

And as brothers growing up together, what kind of kid was Steve, especially in regards to the two of them playing hockey?  “He had a lot of patience.  I "kinda" had a temper growing up.  If I didn't win, look out because a stick or something was coming his way!  He let me win a lot so that wouldn't happen.  I'm definitely not proud of that but he showed me winning isn't everything.  I learned a lot about hockey from him.  I remember watching him play ice early on and cheering him on all the time.  As we got older and I started getting better, he was my biggest supporter.  He'd be at every game he could make through Juniors to College.  I always knew he was there and he was always supporting me, no matter how bad I played!” Brian quipped.  Those of us, who know Brian or have ever witnessed his play, will find it hard to swallow that he ever played bad!   

I asked Steve what his most memorable game was and he chimed in “Any game that there was a championship involved in of course, but I have always loved every game I have played with my brother Brian, and all of the great players everywhere I have had the pleasure of playing with or against.”  He added, as Steve so humbly would, “ Beyond all the games I’ve ever played, my friendships I have made throughout the game will last forever and are very important to me.”  I then proceeded to ask Steve if hockey was entirely over for him and he said, “I’m not going to say I’m forever done.  I still want to be involved with hockey, especially with my kids.  I do want to coach!”  Steve is coaching his kid’s ice and inline hockey now, and no doubt will be a positive for the sport later when his children get older.  Steve will also be helping with the Harrisburg Lunatics staff and management this season.  No he isn’t “Done”.  But he is truly missed already!

Nods my head to Steve. Thanks Bud.